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Månafossen Falls

Monday, 23 July 2012

A week ago, Joe and I did our first Norwegian hike.

Hiking is a way of life in Norway. When the weather is nice (actually, even when it's not) people get outside and do something active. Hikes range from several minutes to several days and include the entire family - babies, toddlers, teenagers and grandparents.

Månafossen Falls is located about an hours drive from Stavanger. The scenery on the way there was beautiful as we followed along the fjord and admired the Norwegian countryside. The road was very narrow, really only big enough for one lane of traffic, and there were a couple of 'hold your breath' moments as we squeezed by other cars on the cliffside.

Månafossen falls was described as a short but challenging hike. As we stood in the parking lot looking up the path filled with loose rocks, I did wonder if this 'challenging hike' was a little over my head... and then a 3 year old and her Mom came around the corner and down the path causing Joe to laugh at my hesitation.

Anyways, we embarked and while it was pretty steep, it was perfectly manageable. And then we turned a corner and the steep hike turned into a steep climb.

Wet and slippery boulders turned into our path and when it got tougher, chains staked into the ground could be used to pull yourself up. There were no railings beside the cliffside and I tried not to think of what might happen if I lost my footing.

And then it seemed like Norway mocked me.

At every landing, we'd stop to catch our breath and Norwegians in sandals, carrying babies in one arm and giant packs in the other would bound over those boulders and carry on up as if they were walking on sidewalks. Small children hardly looked bothered carrying tents and sleeping bags on their backs and grandma with her walking stick didn't even have flushed cheeks.

In any case, we carried on, egos a little deflated, and made it to the top to enjoy the view.

Haha, that's awesome! When you live in such an amazing place, hiking sure is a way of life!

That's the way I felt when we moved to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. It's located in southern Germany near the Austrian border in the Bavarian/Swiss Alps. It seemed like everyone of all ages were hiking like it was nothing! Crazy!

It must be so awesome living in Norway too! Norway is definitely at the top of my list for places to travel to. I want to see some of the fjords and awesome fishing villages. I can't wait to read more from your travels. :)